The man delivering mail in the tiny town of Tallarook (pop. 748) happens to be one of Australia’s most famous actors. But that doesn’t mean the locals are happy about it…
After reading about the remarkable life and journey of Chris Hemsworth’s character, I am left in awe and inspired. His resilience, determination, and selflessness are truly admirable. The way he has turned his personal struggles into a powerful force for good, through Love Your Sister, is nothing short of extraordinary.
Tallarook, with a population of 748, is about as ‘small town’ as small-town Australia gets.
This place mainly features a general store, a hotel, and a café. The post office here, established in 1861, is likely its most notable historical landmark.
Currently, Tallarook, positioned approximately an hour and a half’s drive north of Melbourne, has gained notoriety for something other than its location: its dedicated postman.
Samuel Johnson, famous for his roles in “The Secret Life of Us” and for winning a Gold Logie as Molly Meldrum’s portrayal in music, is the mail carrier who visits three times a week.
Apart from that, he’s a recipient of the Order of Australia, recognized for his efforts. Through his charity, Love Your Sister, he’s managed to amass millions towards breast cancer research, a cause close to his heart as it was established in memory of his late sister Connie who passed away from the disease at 40 years old in 2017.
Seven years after his victorious Logies evening, where he received both silver and gold statuettes, Johnson, aged 46, appears to have abandoned acting completely. In truth, he has only a handful of TV roles since 2016, with the most notable being winning Dancing with the Stars in 2019.
Beyond my charitable endeavors, it seems my primary role has shifted towards delivering correspondence to a community that, I’ve come to find out, often speaks of me in hushed tones.
In essence, Tallarook’s community hub includes the Tallarook Hotel, our local watering hole, along with a versatile establishment situated across the street – it serves multiple purposes such as a general store, post office, coffee shop, and newsstand.
The individuals managing the local general store, as well as the rural supplies store, have a close relationship with the pub owner within the community.
This small town is encompassed by a state forest and farmlands, with its homes dispersed at distances, and it has only a single street running through it.
In the small town of Tallarook, it seems like everybody is acquainted with each other. But there’s a peculiar exception – when it comes to discussing their well-respected postman, folks tend to keep quiet.
In July, it was announced that Johnson will be delivering mail on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in the town of Tallarook.
He mentioned that it had long been a cherished aspiration of his, serving as an ideal opportunity to pursue alongside his ongoing efforts in fundraising for Love Your Sister.
He expressed, on Instagram, that he’s long dreamed of becoming a postal worker and now finally has the opportunity. It seems like an ideal part-time job for him.
He asked his social media friends for assistance in locating an electric bicycle, as he intends to traverse a 32-kilometer dirt track that will serve as his daily commute.
For an individual who previously traveled 15,000 kilometers across Australia on a single wheel for a full year with the aim of breaking a Guinness World Record and donating $1 million to the Garvan Institute of Medical Research towards finding a cure for breast cancer, it would be a simple task.
He ended up raising $1,477,630.
It was mentioned that a lady from the rural goods shop had provided Johnson with an electric bicycle without charge, aiming to assist him in launching his career.
At first glance, this step seemed like a long-awaited decision by Johnson, who for quite some time had expressed his intentions to leave acting in favor of dedicating himself fully to his charitable endeavors.
In the countryside of Victoria, it appeared more suitable for a man who, despite reaching great acclaim, always seemed uncomfortable within the limelight of Melbourne’s social circle.
Initially, I thought my visit to Tallarook would unfold a tale of a famous city figure captivating a quaint community, yet what I encountered was far from that image.
As a devoted follower, I didn’t find my notebook brimming with enthusiastic accolades from locals. Instead, I encountered sighs, rolled eyes, and, on occasions, open hostility. Many of my interactions would start amicably, but the mood would quickly turn sour upon the mention of Johnson’s name.
One local resident, preferring anonymity, commented that the town wasn’t very satisfied with the arrangement of having a part-time delivery service instead of a full-time one.
Others went so far as to pretend they had no idea who Johnson was.
A frequent visitor, not accustomed to Tallarook, seemed skeptical when asked if there’s a postman in town, given that they regularly dine at the post office café, where local resident Johnson retrieves the mail.
‘Nah, I got no clue who that is,’ another told me.
One tradie did know who Johnson was but seemed to genuinely have no idea he was the local postie. He was thrilled when he found out.
A colleague of his vaguely remembered the actor and found it unusual that Johnson would choose to step away from the spotlight to pursue his dream of being a package delivery person.
But I did find one person willing to speak about him.
For ten minutes, I could barely get a word in as she launched into a breathless rant about how Tallarook deserved a proper full-time postman.
I was told he might be a great actor and fundraiser, but he wasn’t cut out to be a small-time postie. She added that most locals ‘couldn’t care less’ about his fame.
It crossed my mind to ponder what Johnson might make of this evaluation. There’s little question he’d concur with the aspect of his renowned status. As for his personal celebrity, I’m certain he wouldn’t give it a second thought.
Regardless of the influence Johnson may have had on Australian television from the 2000s onward, his impact in this small town was significantly less noticeable.
On Instagram, Johnson boasts a following of approximately 127,000 people. His content ranges from scenic countryside shots, humorous anecdotes, and the odd celebrity snapshot every now and then.
His profile photo shows him smiling while holding a parrot, and his bio says: ‘I’m up to mischief, joking around, playing pranks, causing a ruckus.’
He presents a very down-to-earth Aussie kind of vibe.
Perhaps Johnson may not be the best postman globally yet, given that he’s relatively new to the job, having joined just a few months ago. Notably, his charitable duties frequently require him to travel out of state, which might explain why his supervisor hasn’t observed him more often.
In Tallarook, I attempted to have a conversation with Johnson. He didn’t seem inclined, but from our interaction, it appeared that he was a satisfied individual, engrossed in his work, though not yet fully accepted by the locals.
On September 25th, when he sped up to the Tallarook General Store post office while wearing a high-visibility vest and a black helmet in the morning, I nearly failed to recognize him due to his attire.
If I hadn’t been aware that he was the sole postman in town, my gaze likely would have passed right by him without notice.
During the 2000s, while I was still attending school, Johnson rose to prominence. By the time I had just completed my education, he had already been awarded a Gold Logie for his performance as Meldrum.
Even though I was probably too young to fully recognize Johnson’s acting prowess during his prime, I would still have identified him instantly – that is, until he took on the role as a postman, which changed his appearance for me.
In the morning, Johnson quietly took his coffee at the local store, and twenty minutes later, he commenced his workday.
As he traveled his 32-kilometer path, he eventually found himself on dusty backcountry roads. Here, he chose to pause in a nearby bush, while vehicles whizzed past him, guided by the unwavering certainty of drivers who had honed their skills on rural farmlands.
It wasn’t unexpected for Johnson to exercise caution, considering he had been involved in a devastating car accident in June 2021, which came close to taking his life and left him with serious injuries and peculiar symptoms.
After the collision, he temporarily adopted a Russian accent for several days and also experienced a bizarre delusion that he was an eleven-year-old Japanese schoolgirl, as a result of brain trauma. Subsequently, it was confirmed that he suffered from post-traumatic amnesia.
On that particular day, Johnson was headed to a family member’s residence. Feeling the urgent need to go, he stopped his vehicle and stepped across the street to answer nature’s call since he couldn’t hold it any longer and thought he wouldn’t be able to wait an additional thirty minutes.
As he went to return to his vehicle, he was accidentally struck by a car.
He sustained a severe head injury, experienced brain hemorrhage, strained the muscles in his neck, partly displaced his jaw, and received extensive bruising along one side of his body.
Johnson, using his own phrasing, came extremely close to losing his life and was hospitalized for about six weeks. However, he expressed gratitude, considering himself fortunate compared to others who had spent months undergoing treatment in the same hospital.
When I encountered Johnson in Tallarook during September, he appeared energetic and agile. He maintained a low profile, pedaled vigorously, and consistently adhered to the edge of the road.
On the very same day, he departed from Victoria several hours following his short stint. I learned later on that he had taken a flight towards Queensland for charitable purposes. However, in a subsequent Instagram update, he mentioned that he was actually in Tamworth, New South Wales.
It’s understandable that Johnson might seem a bit preoccupied with his postal duties, given that his charity, Love Your Sister, is embarking on a new phase of fundraising.
Its next venture is called Sam’s 1000, which involves getting one thousand businesses to partner with Love Your Sister in an effort to bring precision cancer medicine to Australia.
As stated on their website, Love Your Sister has almost tripled its original aim of $10 million, having raised approximately $20 million for cancer research in medical studies since it was founded by Sam and Connie Johnson in 2012.
Throughout her life, Connie endured a tough, prolonged fight against illness, starting when she was diagnosed with bone cancer at 11 years old, followed by uterine cancer at 22, and eventually breast cancer at the age of 33.
When Connie sadly passed away, nearly $6 million had been collected by the charity she co-founded with her celebrated brother. Remarkably, she was honored with the Medal of the Order of Australia on September 7, 2017, at the age of 40 – an honor bestowed upon her just one day before her untimely demise.
Ever since then, Johnson has persistently continued the work of his legacy, which holds significant value for him beyond the critical eyes of residents in a quiet rural community.
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2024-11-09 18:20